Okay so anyone who's not me will most likely chuckle when reading this post. With biggirl's very full gymnastics schedule, we made a deal before school started that she is to be in bed by 8:30 p.m. every night except Saturday. I know this may seem harsh for an 11 year old, but she is on the bus by 7:30 on weekdays and at the gym at 8:00 on Saturday mornings. We feel that in order to function properly at school, gymnastics, and at home, that is the most appropriate bedtime. On evenings when she has gymnastics, she is normally in the door by 7:50 p.m., which leaves her 40 minutes to shower, brush her teeth, and get to bed. Any mother out there knows that 40 minutes to do that is a luxurious span of time, heck need I make a list of everything I can get done in 40 minutes? Actually, that might make for a good blog entry!
Anyways, tonight, biggirl was sluggish when she got home. She suddenly had many things she wanted to tell me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for talking, just not when it's late and we have a schedule to respect. So, once again, I found myself constantly reminding her that the clock was ticking and she tells me that she's sick of me bugging her to get things done all the time. Soooooooo... what do you think I did? I backed off. Way, way, off.
It is now 9:05 p.m. and she is not in bed. She is practicing Mary had a little lamb for the 50th time on her recorder (homework states she is to practice for 5 minutes). Plus, she is laughing loudly, talking, and making noise in every way she can think of. I know she is just waiting, longing for me to go down and get upset. But no way.
I have backed off.
I will let her deal with the natural consequence of being tired.
There.
I will have the last (silent) word tonight.
The worst thing is... getting to bed on time is actually considered a paying chore in our house. That is how important we think getting to bed on time really is for her. Unfortunately, we rarely have to pay for that one!
If only I could figure out how to get paid for getting to bed on time... any ideas anyone????
Showing posts with label schedule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schedule. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
All work and no play
It's Friday night and I am totally pooped... for the first time since babygirl's birth I have just completed a 35-hour workweek. Now I am trying really, really hard not to complain because I do realize that the average person does this every week for about 40 years but I must admit that I can't even see straight after sitting in front of my screen for so long.
When I first started working from home, my goal was to work 15 hours a week. A few months ago, I was aiming for 20 hours a week. Needless to say, 20 hours a week will now seem like a vacation! Isnt't that cool though?
Of course, part of the reason I was so busy this week is that I am still playing catch-up for the weeks spent on the couch. Another part of it is the fact that I know the girls are just two weeks away from summer vacation which means I am just two weeks away from managing constant conflict between morning skating and gymnastics lessons while trying to get some work done somehow, somewhere...
Finally, contracts are flooding in because I am damn good at what I do (if I do say so myself) and that's mostly because I love it soooo much!
So bring it on I say! I can be all work and no play...at least until school's out!
When I first started working from home, my goal was to work 15 hours a week. A few months ago, I was aiming for 20 hours a week. Needless to say, 20 hours a week will now seem like a vacation! Isnt't that cool though?
Of course, part of the reason I was so busy this week is that I am still playing catch-up for the weeks spent on the couch. Another part of it is the fact that I know the girls are just two weeks away from summer vacation which means I am just two weeks away from managing constant conflict between morning skating and gymnastics lessons while trying to get some work done somehow, somewhere...
Finally, contracts are flooding in because I am damn good at what I do (if I do say so myself) and that's mostly because I love it soooo much!
So bring it on I say! I can be all work and no play...at least until school's out!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Schedule jam
Life is hectic. Between work, homework, housework, skating and gymnastics lessons, school, skiing, and Saturday nights with friends or family, our schedule is jammed. We seem to be running around all the time.
When I was little, my dog would have the silly habit of spinning around in circles in the attempt to (I think) catch its tail. Well... I kind of feel like I'm spinning around these days, only there is no tail to catch... so when will it stop?
I recently was speaking with a mother who was sitting next to me at the ice rink on a day when I was feeling as if I didn't really have control over the day's schedule and to-do list...I smiled when she told me that she's felt that way for years now.
Well there you go. This mom who seemed on top of everything, like all the moms sitting, calmly (or so it seems from afar) watching their kids skate was also trying to catch a tail which just is not there.
Why do we do it? What could we eliminate from our schedule? Well, nothing really.
Work is work. It's not just a money thing either. It's necessary because it gives me something to call mine. It keeps my brain alert (in different ways than doing Grade 4math), and provides goals and challenges (other than keeping the house clean)!
School is necessary too. It provides all of the above for the girls.
Sports are necessary in my book also. They provide discipline and develop abilities which the girls will use their entire lives a.k.a. stress, competition, and time management...
Skiing and Saturday nights with friends or family give us time to have fun together before the craziness starts all over again. I guess it's a good thing I took figure skating lessons when I was young too. I can control my spinning...to some extent anyways!
When I was little, my dog would have the silly habit of spinning around in circles in the attempt to (I think) catch its tail. Well... I kind of feel like I'm spinning around these days, only there is no tail to catch... so when will it stop?
I recently was speaking with a mother who was sitting next to me at the ice rink on a day when I was feeling as if I didn't really have control over the day's schedule and to-do list...I smiled when she told me that she's felt that way for years now.
Well there you go. This mom who seemed on top of everything, like all the moms sitting, calmly (or so it seems from afar) watching their kids skate was also trying to catch a tail which just is not there.
Why do we do it? What could we eliminate from our schedule? Well, nothing really.
Work is work. It's not just a money thing either. It's necessary because it gives me something to call mine. It keeps my brain alert (in different ways than doing Grade 4math), and provides goals and challenges (other than keeping the house clean)!
School is necessary too. It provides all of the above for the girls.
Sports are necessary in my book also. They provide discipline and develop abilities which the girls will use their entire lives a.k.a. stress, competition, and time management...
Skiing and Saturday nights with friends or family give us time to have fun together before the craziness starts all over again. I guess it's a good thing I took figure skating lessons when I was young too. I can control my spinning...to some extent anyways!
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